Scissors used to rob McDonald’s, KFC and Wilko in Salford

By Charlie-Michael Pope | 2nd July 2018

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Gun Crime, Knife crime and now Scissors crime, this is all of a mess…

Crime is hitting all different kinds of situations now. It seems like it is now what random weapon or situation comes next? Well, this one is just as crazy as you think. A man has been found guilty of robbing McDonald’s, KFC and Wilko all in the space of just four days.

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Ali Ashraf, 37, used a simple set of scissors from home to scare workers. He was even threatening to murder one woman, during his sadistic scissor spree. Ashraf was convicted of three counts of robbery. He commited the cime at a KFC in Hulme and a Wilko store in Eccles and a McDonald’s in Salford, all in the space of four days.

There was no question what would happen to Ashraf, the jury found him guilty after a three-day trial at Manchester Crown Court. Ashraf was never once present at Manchester Crown Court after refusing to attend.

How did Ali Ashraf manage to rob McDonald’s, KFC and Wilko, using scissors?

The jurors in the trial learned a lot about Ashraf regarding his scissor spree. He was using a similar ‘M.O’ at each incident, purchasing an item of low value ‘as a pretense to open the till’.

He bought 99p worth of chicken wings from KFC. He ordered a bacon and egg McMuffin in McDonald’s. Finally, he bought a 50p pack of children’s pencils in Wilko (previously known as Wilkinsons).

But the orders and purchases was only the start… He then began to target female retail staff who were working alone. In the first robbery, at about 9.30am on January 10, Ashraf pulled up to a McDonald’s drive-thru on Regent Road in Salford.

He ordered his food carrying onto the payment window when he rushed out of his car. He then put the pair of scissors to the 19-year-old female staff member’s palm.Ashraf demanded to the woman:
“Give us all the notes from the till or I will stab you. If you go into the store and tell anyone I will murder you.”

Two days later, Ashraf was at it again. H bought a 50p box of pencil rubbers at Wilko. The woman who served him said Ashraf grabbed the till and threatened to stab her, if she reported the incident.

The last location KFC Ashraf ordered the cheap chicken wings and threatened the 22-year-old woman was working at the drive-thru. He continues to grab her arm, demanding straight cash and left with £400. This is nothing compared to the armed roobbers stealing panani stickers.

Ashraf’s heists came to a quick end thank god. It was the following day after a police car with Automatic Number Plate readers tracked his car, locating him to a hotel in Fallowfield, where he was arrested.